# Newbie pipe tobacco questions...



## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

Hey guys, Being a cigar smoker only until now I just have a few questions about pipe tobacco.


1. What part of the plant does pipe tobacco come from? Do they come from the same type of plant as cigars do?

2. Are there any worries about tobacco beetles with pipe tobacco? Do i need to freeze it and keep it at perfect temps under 70 degrees?

3. Do i need to keep the tobacco at a certain RH? What would be the ideal RH to keep pipe tobacco at?

4. Do you age pipe tobacco? If i keep the same baccy around for 5 years will it go bad?

5. Are all mason jars created equal? Are there some that are better quality that you can recomend, or are they all just glass bottles? haha 

6. Are there different types of pipe baccy, and what are they?


Ok, so im betting most of you could write about 10 pages of info on those few questions, so I will leave it at that for now!

Thanks everyone!

---Joe


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## funbags (Jan 19, 2011)

92hatchattack said:


> 4. Do you age pipe tobacco? If i keep the same baccy around for 5 years will it go bad?


You can but I never tried (to busy smoking it to save it).


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## ShamWow (Jan 17, 2009)

Joe...in 40 years of smoking a pipe, never saw a beetle or other insect type creature in my bacy. RH is a personal preference, some folks like it more on the moist side, but I would venture that the majority of pipers lean towards a more dry bacy. Aging pipe tobacco works for some types/blends and not others. Aromatics are mostly smoked with no age, while the unadulterated blends can benefit greatly by some age on them. A while ago I came across a can of tobacco from around the mid-60's that with a little rehydration smoked wonderfully.

I've never used mason jars so others will I'm sure chime in.

Tobacco types, burley, virginia, orientals, latakia, perique and others that don't at the moment come to mind. Check out the pipe section for more good reading....and ENJOY!!

Ed


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

Here's some short answers.


92hatchattack said:


> Hey guys, Being a cigar smoker only until now I just have a few questions about pipe tobacco.
> 
> 1. What part of the plant does pipe tobacco come from? Do they come from the same type of plant as cigars do?
> 
> ...


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

92hatchattack said:


> Hey guys, Being a cigar smoker only until now I just have a few questions about pipe tobacco.


1. What part of the plant does pipe tobacco come from? Do they come from the same type of plant as cigars do? *Same basic plant, different varieties and different processing. Different soils and climates can make for differences as well. *

2. Are there any worries about tobacco beetles with pipe tobacco? Do i need to freeze it and keep it at perfect temps under 70 degrees? *They've been known to show up in pipe tobacco, but not often. Generally the processing (steaming, pressing, fermenting...) kills them. Tobacco stores pretty well within a broad range of temperatures.*

3. Do i need to keep the tobacco at a certain RH? What would be the ideal RH to keep pipe tobacco at? *That's a personal preference.* *The biggest problem with tobacco is storing it too wet and having it mold.*

4. Do you age pipe tobacco? If i keep the same baccy around for 5 years will it go bad?* Virginias ferment as they age because they contain sugars and thereby develop different flavors. Burleys do less of that and theoretically don't profit from aging like Virginias. Aromatics actually lose their pizazz over time as the volatile components of their flavoring agents evaporate or oxidize. *

5. Are all mason jars created equal? Are there some that are better quality that you can recomend, or are they all just glass bottles? haha *Preserving jars -- Ball is but one of the decent ones, but also one of the cheapest and most readily available. Don't use old pickle or salsa jars.*

6. Are there different types of pipe baccy, and what are they? *This is a trick question, right? :lol:*

Ok, so im betting most of you could write about 10 pages of info on those few questions, so I will leave it at that for now! *We could probably form an entire discussion group! We could calll it a pipe forum. :lol:
* 
Thanks everyone!

*You're welcome! *


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## ChronoB (Nov 4, 2007)

92hatchattack said:


> Hey guys, Being a cigar smoker only until now I just have a few questions about pipe tobacco.
> 
> 1. What part of the plant does pipe tobacco come from? Do they come from the same type of plant as cigars do?
> 
> ...


1. The leaves. All tobacco is the same species, but different growing regions and preparation yield the different types of smoking tobacco.

2. Tobacco beetles are rarely a pipe tobacco problem, but it is possible.

3. If left unopened in the tin, do nothing. If opened, place in an airtight container. If dry, rehydrate.

4. Pipe tobacco doesn't go bad, although you may find you prefer certain blends when young, instead of when aged. It ages and changes over time, like wine. Straight virginia or virginia dominated blends benefit the most from aging.

5. Don't know, but I'm sure some are better than others. I have some OXO airtight containers for tobacco after I open a tin.

6. Wow, in simplest terms, here you go:

Virginia
Burley
Perique
Orientals (sub-group, Latakia)

Blends are made up of some or all of those tobaccos. And, some are prepared as cakes, flakes, or ribbon cut. To which all kinds of insidious flavorings can be added, yielding an "aromatic" blend.

Some would include Cavendish (burley or virginia that has gone through a steaming/pressing process) as a separate type of blending tobacco. Black cavdenish is unsweetened. Otherwise, Cavendish is either laced with sugar or some other flavoring.

For more info I heartily recommend you visit pipedia.org, glpease.com, apassionforpipes.com. I'm sure I'm forgetting some good resources.


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## Nachman (Oct 16, 2010)

Pipe tobacco is usually from different varieties of tobacco than cigars, but a few blends use cigar tobacco eg GL Pease Robusto, H&H Stogie, C&D Billie Budd and many others. Tobacco beetles are rare in pipe tobacco and, in my opinion, usually a problem in the storage at the blenders. Cigars are kept at 70% RH, Pipe tobacco at about 18% RH. Aging is good with English blends, Virginias, Vapers. Clean or new canning jars are pretty much the same. Just as long as the seal is good. Read reviews on tobaccoreviews.com and you will get a good idea of tobacco types.


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

Interesting. From what i have read it seemed that pipe tobacco is much wetter than cigar tobacco.

How does one keep the pipe tobacco at 18%? Am i reading too much into it and I should just throw it in a jar and forget about it? How do i prevent mold?


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

92hatchattack said:


> Am i reading too much into it and I should just throw it in a jar and forget about it?


Yes. Pipe tobacco is easier than cigars in that it's generally kept in a sealed self-contained environment. Keeping the temperature level is about all you can do about it; the moisture is taken care of already.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

92hatchattack said:


> Interesting. From what i have read it seemed that pipe tobacco is much wetter than cigar tobacco.


Nick says cigars are kept at 70% RH, pipe tobacco at 18%, which would be visa versa. ie, pipe tobacco drier. (That 18% makes it seem as if pipe tobacco is pickier about humidity, because that's not a round number, but the opposite seems to be true -- the RH of new pipe tobacco varies quite a bit and is pretty much the way it's stored if it's taken out of the original container.)


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## hoopsmcgee (Jun 3, 2011)

Wow, lots of great information in here! Thanks for starting this thread Joe. If I could add just one question - how much does temperature fluctuation affect aging? My house is pretty susceptible to temperature fluctuation and I don't want to start cellaring a bunch of stuff if it's going to be negatively affected by it (say 5 degrees change is possible in a day, but all stays withing 65 and 75).


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

hoopsmcgee said:


> Wow, lots of great information in here! Thanks for starting this thread Joe. If I could add just one question - how much does temperature fluctuation affect aging? My house is pretty susceptible to temperature fluctuation and I don't want to start cellaring a bunch of stuff if it's going to be negatively affected by it (say 5 degrees change is possible in a day, but all stays withing 65 and 75).


I wouldn't sweat it. I don't think you'd want it to get above 90, but that probably wouldn't do all that much either as long as the containers were sealed. As long as it doesn't freeze, cooler would just make it age slower I'd imagine. They say light is the worst enemy -- I'm really not much of an authority on aging, though. From what I've read, as long as the container is air tight, it'll tolerate a pretty big range of storage temperatures without ill effects.

Owaindav just put up an article on this you might like to read...

http://www.cigarforums.net/Content/Pipes/pipe-tobacco-to-age-or-not-to-age.html


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## Nachman (Oct 16, 2010)

92hatchattack said:


> Interesting. From what i have read it seemed that pipe tobacco is much wetter than cigar tobacco.
> 
> How does one keep the pipe tobacco at 18%? Am i reading too much into it and I should just throw it in a jar and forget about it? How do i prevent mold?


Actually The recommended tobacco RH for smoking is below 40%. You can store it higher. I like my tobacco just short of crunchy for smoking so about 18%. Much of the tobacco I have in Jars is at a higher RH, but some is ready to smoke.


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

This is great information everyone! As a cigar smoker i find it amazing that we can smoke whole cigars that ae kept at 65% humiditiy and never give a thought about moisture durring the smoke, yet with pipe tobacco it becomes and import part of the smoke even when the humidity of the baccy is sub 40%

So will baccy kept in a mason jar loose humidity over time? How is this possible if you live in a climate where most of the summer the humidity is 60-70% ... this is a whoel new world, its facinating!


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## ChronoB (Nov 4, 2007)

92hatchattack said:


> This is great information everyone! As a cigar smoker i find it amazing that we can smoke whole cigars that ae kept at 65% humiditiy and never give a thought about moisture durring the smoke, yet with pipe tobacco it becomes and import part of the smoke even when the humidity of the baccy is sub 40%
> 
> So will baccy kept in a mason jar loose humidity over time? How is this possible if you live in a climate where most of the summer the humidity is 60-70% ... this is a whoel new world, its facinating!


If the container is airtight it shouldn't lose any moisture until it is opened. But each time it is opened it is bound to lose a little. The more tobacco in the jar, the less you'll lose each time you open it.


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

OK ok, so this has been bugging me. If "tounge bite" is created by the moisture in the tobacco turning into steam and burning the mouth, they why do pipe smokers, with the lower rh tobacco experiance the bite while cigar smoker, having much more moisture in a cigar, do not?


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## Andrewdk (Feb 3, 2011)

92hatchattack said:


> OK ok, so this has been bugging me. If "tounge bite" is created by the moisture in the tobacco turning into steam and burning the mouth, they why do pipe smokers, with the lower rh tobacco experiance the bite while cigar smoker, having much more moisture in a cigar, do not?


I think the actual smoking implement and not the tobacco holds the answer here. Unless you use a very tiny punch cutter the opening on a cigar is much bigger then a pipe, thus any steam isn't delivered into the mouth so directly (I could be completely wrong on this point). Probably more obvious is the fact that the entire cigar is exposed to the air and can dry out or dissipate steam along the length of the cigar, whereas the pipe tobacco is incased if you will within the bowl and the steam has only one direction to go in when inhaling. It may also be that the liquid can gather in the bottom of the bowl whereas any moisture in a cigar would presumably burn off as it's smoked rather then pooling.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

92hatchattack said:


> OK ok, so this has been bugging me. If "tounge bite" is created by the moisture in the tobacco turning into steam and burning the mouth, they why do pipe smokers, with the lower rh tobacco experiance the bite while cigar smoker, having much more moisture in a cigar, do not?


Smoking too hot gives you tongue *burn*. Caustic chemicals created when burning tobacco gives you tongue* bite*, some tobaccos being more caustic than others. Some tobaccos, like heavily topped aromatics, can give you a double whammy. Not much can be done with tongue burn but wait until it heals. High acidity drinks like carbonated beverages, orange juice, coffee, tea, etc. can neutralize alkaline pH to prevent tongue bite when you're smoking and remove the caustic chemicals from you tongue when you've been bitten so things can start to get back to normal.

Some tobaccos contain chemicals that certain people are allergic to and others are not, Lakeland types for example. The allergic reactions can take the form of allergic reactions resembling tongue burn/bite involving the entire mouth or the common reactions of sneezing, wheezing, etc. No doubt some would even get a rash in such cases.

I think the smoke stream in a cigar is a lot cooler. I don't know why cigar/cigarette smokers don't get tongue bit, however -- good question. It certainly puts the bite/burn dichotomy to the test! Maybe it really is all burn and no bite!


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## Diodon nepheligina (Nov 5, 2009)

freestoke said:


> I think the smoke stream in a cigar is a lot cooler. I don't know why cigar/cigarette smokers don't get tongue bit, however -- good question. It certainly puts the bite/burn dichotomy to the test! Maybe it really is all burn and no bite!


If you've ever smoked a cigar down to the nub, you know, where it is so small you can barely hold it and it is nearly too hot to touch, you know that the smoke from these cigar nubs is very hot on the tongue. Smoke a nub like this too fast and voila: Tongue bite. I think Jim is correct here; the organic composition and length of the cigar absorbs moisture and cools the smoke much more than the inside of a pipe does.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Diodon nepheligina said:


> Smoke a nub like this too fast and voila: Tongue bite. I think Jim is correct here; the organic composition and length of the cigar absorbs moisture and cools the smoke much more than the inside of a pipe does.


Okay then! You CAN get tongue bite with a cigar! Smoking them like my bus driver in England did, holding the lit in inwards with the thumb and two fingers on the tube, I'll bet one could get tongue bite from Lucky Strikes. He could smoke those Woodbines down to a quarter inch...maybe an eighth! :lol:

And I wrote, "The allergic reactions can take the form of allergic reactions...". :dunno: I hope nobody takes issue with this statement. :typing:


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

Im going to tag on a question cause this doesnt need a seperate thread. I just got my corn cob pipes in. Do all pipes use plastic stems or do higher quality pipes use a more durable material for the stem?


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

92hatchattack said:


> Im going to tag on a question cause this doesnt need a seperate thread. I just got my corn cob pipes in. Do all pipes use plastic stems or do higher quality pipes use a more durable material for the stem?


Good pipes use vulcanite or acrylic. Vulcanite is softer but less durable than acrylic/lucite and doesn't come in the colors and patters that acrylic does. The cob stems cost 25c apiece, I think, and wear out easily. I use a Forever stem on my "filtered" cobs, an acrylic specially made to fit cobs that obviates the use of a filter. One stem for any number of filtered cobs.

'Forever' Stems


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## Nachman (Oct 16, 2010)

92hatchattack said:


> Im going to tag on a question cause this doesnt need a seperate thread. I just got my corn cob pipes in. Do all pipes use plastic stems or do higher quality pipes use a more durable material for the stem?


Pipe stems are made of various materials, the most common being Vulcanite and Lucite. Vulcanite is a hardened rubber product and Lucite, which is harder than Vulcanite is a plastic product, but much harder and better quality than the cheap plastic stems that come on cobs. The stems that come on cobs are a quarter each. They are functional but not attractive or durable.
Oops Freestoke posted while I was typing.


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

Ok, so why I am asking is that i can see that holding the pipe with me teeth leaves marks on the stem very easily. With better pipes will these teeth marks still happen or not?

Should i not be holding the pipe between my teeth at all?


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## Nachman (Oct 16, 2010)

If you clench you will still get some marks on the stem with better materials, but much, much less than with the cobs. The Lucite stems, being harder, resist teeth marks more than the Vulcanite. You can bite the soft plastic stems on the cobs right in two, but then again, the replacements are only 25 cents.


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

Ok, lets say I got myself a nice peterson. What is the propper way to hold it in my mouth if my hands are busy, and I dont want to ruin the stem of the pipe with teeth marks?


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

92hatchattack said:


> Ok, lets say I got myself a nice peterson. What is the propper way to hold it in my mouth if my hands are busy, and I dont want to ruin the stem of the pipe with teeth marks?


Cover the stem with heat shrink tubing. One quarter of a strip is about the right size. I think -- THINK -- the width for most stems is 3/4", but I'm not sure. (Seems like one kind measures it in the shrunk size, while the other measures it as it is in the package, but again, not sure.) This pretty much stops the teeth marks and also gives a nice grip for the clench.


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## Nachman (Oct 16, 2010)

92hatchattack said:


> Ok, lets say I got myself a nice peterson. What is the propper way to hold it in my mouth if my hands are busy, and I dont want to ruin the stem of the pipe with teeth marks?


They make rubber bits for the end of the stem. A lot of guys use shrink wrap tubing and make their own because it is less bulky. I personally just ignore the marks because I look at a pipe as a tool which will eventually wear out. Oops. cross posted again.


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

Wow, thats interesting stuff! What would you say the ratio is between smokers that us the rubber and do not?

What If i had an expensive pipe that I wished to keep for the next 40 years? Can you purchase replacement stems that will fit the pipe correctly?


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## Nachman (Oct 16, 2010)

You send the pipe to a repair man and he custom fits a stem on it.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

92hatchattack said:


> Wow, thats interesting stuff! What would you say the ratio is between smokers that us the rubber and do not?


I can't seem to find a way to word this, but I think rubber users are in the minority.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Nachman said:


> I personally just ignore the marks because I look at a pipe as a tool which will eventually wear out. Oops. cross posted again.


I clench so lightly I barely leave teeth marks anyhow. (Sort of like playing a guitar, just BARELY enough pressure on the fret to keep the string from buzzing. :lol I put the wrap on there for a firmer, easier grip more than anything. I have a vulcanite stem on my Mayfair (and a small stem it is, too). Not sure when I got the pipe, but it was at least 25 years ago and it's never had rubber bits on it -- teeth marks are barely visible. (Admittedly, I didn't really start clenching until the computer age, where I need to type with a pipe in my mouth, but...)


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## CBR (Mar 31, 2010)

I've been a clencher since day one on all except my really nice pipes (not always based on price, sometimes just on sentimental value). the ones that have been clenched show a bit of wear but really nothing that is remarkable. When you get a shiny new Savinelli, Peterson or even Dunhill the entire pipe is pristine, but guess what, as soon as you light that first bowl ithe inside of the bowl turns from a nice light brown briar into a blackened tobacco chamber.

Bite marks on the stem should be the least of your worries, not charring the rim....that's the real challenge!


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

Well then how the hell do i keep from charring the rim? HAHA Im such a newb!


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## DSturg369 (Apr 6, 2008)

Be extra careful or put a little spit on your finger and rub it around the rim before lighting. Makes it easier to wipe any would-be charring.


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## CBR (Mar 31, 2010)

92hatchattack said:


> Well then how the hell do i keep from charring the rim? HAHA Im such a newb!


It's tough not to if you're outside and it's windy but what works most of the time is to not fill to the top (flush with the bowl). Make sure you've got a few millimeters of space to let the tobacco expand, this'll keep flame and heat away from the rim.


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

Ok guys, i literally just got this baccy from Natedogg (who really hooked me up big time as you can see!) in the NPS trade. I have no idea what any of it is. Im going out in an hour. Ive got a few brand new MM cobs that have never been smoked and all this baccy.

Quick decision guys.... what do i smoke first?


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

CBR said:


> Bite marks on the stem should be the least of your worries, not charring the rim....that's the real challenge!


You mean you're not supposed to char the rim!? :shocked: I thought that was part of making the pipe your own. :lol:


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## CBR (Mar 31, 2010)

92hatchattack said:


> Ok guys, i literally just got this baccy from Natedogg (who really hooked me up big time as you can see!) in the NPS trade. I have no idea what any of it is. Im going out in an hour. Ive got a few brand new MM cobs that have never been smoked and all this baccy.
> 
> Quick decision guys.... what do i smoke first?
> 
> []


Personal opinion of course, but I'd go with the Luxury Navy Flake. Take a flake, fold it up a few times and rub it out between your palms onto a sheet of paper. Fill the bowl with whatever "method" you like (I just fill once to the top, then press down gently to compact the tobacco a little and add a bit more), light and enjoy.

I'd stay away from the 1792 for a bit as it a pain to keep lit unless you really dry it out first, and the fact that it's a fairly strong blend. It does have a really unique taste that's not found in any other blend.


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## CBR (Mar 31, 2010)

freestoke said:


> You mean you're not supposed to char the rim!? :shocked: I thought that was part of making the pipe your own. :lol:


In that case, I've got a few "personalized" pipes on my rack full of "character" hehe!! :music:


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## funbags (Jan 19, 2011)

freestoke said:


> You mean you're not supposed to char the rim!? :shocked: I thought that was part of making the pipe your own. :lol:


yea to me bite marks in the bit bother me more then having a charred rim.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

CBR said:


> Personal opinion of course, but I'd go with the Luxury Navy Flake. Take a flake, fold it up a few times and rub it out between your palms onto a sheet of paper. Fill the bowl with whatever "method" you like (I just fill once to the top, then press down gently to compact the tobacco a little and add a bit more), light and enjoy.


Or just cannonball it! For regular cob, maybe a flake and a half, wad it into a ball and work it a little to break it up some, then stuff it in there! Sort of a round fold and stuff with just a hint of rub-out thrown in. :tu


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

CBR said:


> I'd stay away from the 1792 for a bit as it a pain to keep lit unless you really dry it out first, and the fact that it's a fairly strong blend. It does have a really unique taste that's not found in any other blend.


Its funny you mentioned that. That was the one bag I opened and said "Woah! Better save this one for when I'm well seasoned!"


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